Trolley-pole catch.



Patented Aug. 5, I902.

J.'A. NORTON. TROLLEY POLE CATCH.

(Application filed Nov. 19, 1901.)

' 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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Attorneys No. 706,092. Patented Aug. 5, I902.

J. A. NORTON.

TRQLLEY POLE CATCH.

(A limio 'filed Nov. 19, 1901. (No Model.) 2 SheetsShee't 2.

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WfT/VESSBS: I I v I By 7%%W M UNITED- STATES PATENT @FFICE.

JAMES A. NORTON, OF WILKESBARRE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR F ONE- HALF TOMICHAEL O. MALLOY AND JAMES F. MUNDAY, OF WVILKES- BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRO L LEY-PO LE CATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 706,092, dated August5, 1902. Application filed November 19, 1901. Serial No. 82,829. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. NORTON, a citizen of the United States,residing atWilkesbarre,in the county of Luzerne,State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-PoleCatches, of which the following is a specification.

The purpose of this invention is to provide means for automaticallylocking the trolleypole of an electrically-operated carin its depressedposition when the trolley-wheel leaves the conducting-Wire and the poleis thrown downward by coming in contact with a trolleywire support or byany other means. The locking devices are so constructed and arranged asto permit the trolley-pole to swing through the entire range of itsvertical movement without operating so long as the movements of the poleare normal, as when the trolley-wheel bears against the conductor or iswithdrawn from the conductor in the ordinary way by the hand-rope; butshould the trolley-pole be thrown suddenly downward in either directionby any means, as by strik- 2 5 ing a cross-wire, the locking deviceswill auto matically operate to hold the pole in its depressed position,and thus prevent it from striking successive cross wires or supports.The pole may be released from the look by 0 simply pulling downward uponthe handrope, or when desired it may be locked in its depressed positionby pulling downward upon the hand-rope and then suddenly slacking therope. In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view ofa'trolley-pole stand pro vided with my improvements. Fig.2 is a centralsectional view through the' same; and Figs. 3 and 4. are side viewsillustrating the 40 operation of the invention, the trolley-pole beingshown in full and dotted lines in 'sev-' eral positions. 7

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a base adapted to be secured tothe top of a trolley-car and having a central upwardlyprojectingstep-bearing 2 and ball-races 3 and 4:, containing balls, upon which issupported a standard 5, having a hollow circular base 6, which fits overthe step-bearing and bears upon the balls in the ball-races. The stand-A ard 5, as shown, comprises a flat metal plate formed integrally withits base or bearing portion 6, and to this standard the socket-arm 7,which constitutes the lower end of the trolleypole, is pivotally securedcentrally over the ball-bearing by means of a pivot pin or bolt 8,passing through the standard and the forked arms 9 and 10 of thetrolley-pole.

The lower ends 9 and 10 of these arms, as

shown, are curved outwardly, so as not to interfere with the base'6 ofthe standard when the trolley-pole moves in a vertical plane, and tosaid lower ends are connected in any suitable manner the two pairs ofoppositelyacting springs 11 and 12, said springs being attached to thecross-arms 13 and 14, respectively, which are adjustably secured uponstuds 15 upon the standard 5. The top 25 of the standard is curved inthe are of a circle whose center is the pivot-pin 8. A notch 16, havinga slight upward trend, is formed in the edge of the standardat one endof the curved portion 25, and below said notch the edge of the standardcurves outwardly, as shown at 17, to form a deflecting-surface forgiving direction to a pawl 18, pivoted between the arms of thetrolleypole. Similarly a notch or catch 19 and a deflecting-surface 20are formed in the opposite edge of the standard. The pawl 18, as shownin Figs. 3 and 4, is formed with two arms 21 and 22, projecting inopposite directions from the pivot-pin 23, and with a heavy portion 24,projecting outwardlyfrom the pivot at right angles from r the arms 21and 22. The arms 21 and 22 are 85 preferably roundedat'the ends, asshown.

In Fig. 3 the parts are shown in full lines in the position which theyoccupy when the trolley is hearing against the wire, in which positionthe pawl rides upon the curved suro face 25. The weighted arm 2d of the.pawl tends to swing the latter about its pivot and being radiallyoutward from the pivot always tends to hold the lower 'armof the pawl inengagement with the edge of the standard and 5 the upper arm out ofengagement withthe standard whether the trolley-pole be swung to oneside or the other. When, however,

the trolley-pole swings downward to its low- 7 est position, thelower'arni of the pawl engag- 10o ing the curved deflecting-surfacethrows said lower arm outward and'directs the upper arm inward. As shownin dotted lines in Fig. 3, for instance, the lower arm 22, engaging thedeflecting-surface 17, is turned outwardly, while the upper arm 21 isturned inwardly in the direction to engage the catch 16. If thetrolley-pole is thrown downward by coming in contact with a cross-wireor any other obstruction until the pawl engages the deflecting-surface,the sudden return movement of the pole will force the upper arm 21 ofthe pawl into the catch 16 before the pawl can be tilted by gravity sothat the arm 21 will clear the catch 16. The pawl is shown in its lockedposition in full lines in Fig. 4. If, however, the trolley-arm shouldmove downward into its lowermost position and then move upwardgradually, as when the pole is depressed by a low section oftrolley-wire or is pulled downward by the hand-rope and allowed toreturn naturally to its more vertical position, the pawl in moving awayfrom the surface 17 will 'be tilted by gravity into a position (shown indotted lines in Fig. 4) where the upper arm of the pawl cannot engagethe notch or catch 16. It will therefore be seen that the trolley-polemay in ordinary usage be moved from the vertical position to itslowermost position'without becoming locked, but that it will becomeautomatically locked in its lowermost position when thrown downward'into the latter position or drawn downward into said position andsuddenly released. As the two arms of the pawl are alike and the catch19 and deflecting-surface 20 upon the opposite edge of the standard aresimilar to the catch and deflecting-surfaces 16 and 17, it will beapparent that the operation when the trolley-pole is inclined in theopposite direction 'will be the same as when inclined in the directionshown in the drawings. When the pole is inclined to the left in Fig. 3,of

course the arm 22, being the upper arm, will be held away from thestandard by gravity and the arm 21 will be held in contact with thestandard,

The standard is preferably mounted upon ball-bearings, as shown; but anysuitable hearing may be provided for the purpose of permitting the standto rotate.

Without, therefore, limiting myself to the exact construction shown,what 1 claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a pivoted vertically-swin gin g trolley-pole,ofmeans operated by the downward movement of the pole for automaticallylocking the pole in its depressed position when the pole is throwndownward, said locking means being normally inoperative during theordinary movements of the pole throughout the range of movement of thepole.

2. The combination with a vertically-swinging trolley-pole of arelatively movable pawl and catch arranged to hold said pole in itsdepressed position, means for normally holding said pawl out ofengagement with the catch throughout the range of movement of the pole,and means operated by-the. downward movement of the pole for deflectingsaid pawl into a direction to engage the catch.

3. The combination wit-h a pivoted vertically-swinging trolley-pole, ofa catch fixed relatively to the pole, a pawl carried by the pole, meansfor normally holding said pawl in a direction to pass by the catch, andmeans for automatically deflecting the pawl in a direction to engage thecatch when the trolleypole is depressed.

4. The combination with a pivoted vertically-swinging trolley-pole, of acatch fixed relatively to the pole, a gravity-pawl carried by the poleand arranged to normally swing in a direction away from the catch, andmeans for automatically deflecting the pawl into a direction to engagethe catch when the trolleypole is depressed.

5. The combination with a pivoted vertically-swinging trolley-pole, of acatch at each side of said pole, and a pawl carried by the pole andhaving two oppositely-projecting arms, means for normally holding thearm which is uppermost out of engagement with the catch during thenormal movement of the trolley-pole, and means for deflecting saiduppermost arm in a direction to engage the catch when the trolley-poleis thrown downwardly.

6. The combination with a pivoted vertically-swinging trolley-pole, of acatch at each side of said pole, and a pawl pivotally carried by saidpole, said pawl having two arms projecting in opposite directions fromits pivotal point, and a central weighted portion adapted to swing thearm which is uppermost away from the adjacent catch.

'7. The combination with. a standard comprising a plate having a catchat one of its lateral edges and a deflecting-surface below said catch,of a vertically-swinging trolleypole pivotally mounted upon thestandard, and a pawl pivoted to the pole and normally extending in adirection to pass by the catch without engaging, and saiddeflectingsurface being arranged to deflect the pawl into a position toengage the catch.

8. The combination with a standard com prising a plate having a catch atone of its lateral edges, of a trolley pole pivotally mounted upon thestandard, a pawl pivoted to the pole and normally extending in adirection to pass by the catch without engaging, and adeflecting-surface arranged to tilt the pawl into the direction toengage the catch when the pole is depressed.

9. The combination with a standard comprising a plate having a catch ateach lateral edge, of a trolley-pole pivotally mounted upon thestandard, a pawl pivoted to the pole and having two oppositelyprojecting arms, means for holding the arm which is uppermost out ofengagementwith the adjacent catch, and a deflecting-surface below eachcatch arranged to tilt said uppermost arm into the direction to engagethe adjacent catch.

prising a plate having an upper curved surface, oatches at each lateraledge and deflecting-surface below said catches, of a forked trolley-polepivoted to said plate, and a gravity-pawl pivoted between the arms ofthe fork, said pawl being arranged to engage the defleeting-surfaceswhen the trolley-pole is depressed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. NORTON.

Witnesses:

W. L. RAEDER, D. OQOOUGHLIN.

